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ESSEN, Germany – Ducati’s 1199 Panigale Superbike has been named “best-of-the-best” within the product design category at the Red Dot awards, one of the biggest of international design competitions.

The 2013 competition saw 4662 products go through the rigorous selection process with the Bologna-based bikemaker clinching the award for the motorcycle that has underlined the company’s status as a design icon within the motorcycle industry.

The awards night in Essen, Germany, on July 1 was attended by some of the biggest names in the world of design. The highly influential audience enjoyed an intriguing display of jury-selected products, of which Ducati’s 1199 Panigale became the star of the show.

'BEYOND THE BARRIERS'

The bike will be exhibited for four weeks at the Red Dot Design Museum in Germany, at an exhibition in Taiwan and for a year at the Red Dot Design Museum in Singapore.

“The 1199 Panigale’s technology and aesthetics have,” the bikemaker said, “combined to create a work of art and by going beyond the barriers of motorcycle design is enjoying international success.

“Ducati’s charm has spread beyond the boundaries of the motorcycling industry and is fascinating the whole world.”

Ducati said every component of the bike was designed to maximise performance while still achieving aesthetic perfection.

“The Panigale’s shape and form capture light in a way that conveys the dynamism of a body that is solid yet nimble, elegant yet powerful,” the company said. “Its smooth streamlining flows effortlessly from the front fairing to the rear light. Even its empty spaces become an essential aspect, with LED lights shaping a surface for the frontal air intakes.

“The engine and exhausts reveal themselves yet remain hidden, seemingly playing out a subtle game in which exposure constantly interacts with audacious absence.”

'DESIGN HISTORY'

Andrea Ferraresi, director of the Ducati Design Centre, told Wheels24: “The Red Dot ‘best of the best’ award acknowledges all the hard work put in by everyone at Ducati R&D for more than three years.

“Joining the ranks of the award’s top winners has made this product – and Ducati – part of product design history.”

Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, highlighted how outstanding design capacity and economic success went hand-in-hand. “The winners are the protagonists of fast developments within the very culture of industrial design. The last few days have seen us engaged in the extremely difficult task of selecting the best, most deserving designs.”

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